Category Archives: Strategic Branding

This week in class we were debating if there is ever such a thing as ‘bad publicity’?

Although many were aligned with Phineas T. Barnum’s statement that “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”, I believe this stance can only go so far.

True enough, if someone is seeking notoriety and a scandalous reputation, perhaps this opinion may have some credence. But if publicity is centred on a product or service that has been shown to be physically detrimental to the consumer or the environment ala BP after their latest oil spill, then there is little likelihood that that publicity of the issue is going to increase sales or improve brand awareness in a valuable way for the business.

Our focus led us to looking at Protein World‘s ‘Beach Body Ready!’ OOH campaign which a few days ago was pulled by TFL.

Launched on platforms across the London Underground, the campaign’s bright yellow poster (shown below) is illustrated by the requisite (although allegedly un-photoshopped) woman in a tiny bikini as well as examples of some of their protein-based meal-replacement products.

Reactions, perhaps surprisingly, were mixed.

Call me cynical but this campaign’s message doesn’t really stand out (neither amongst its competitors, or within the general media). Maybe I’ve become desensitised, who knows…

Others however, have taken a stand against the ad on the principle that any ‘body’ which makes it to a beach this summer is a ‘beach body’, and that Protein World – and by extension, Richard Staveley (Head of Marketing) – are adding to the commodification of women’s bodies within society, and are ‘fat-shaming’ those who do not meet their body ideals.

Campaigners claim that the company is “directly targeting individuals, aiming to make them feel physically inferior to the unrealistic body image of the bronzed model in order to sell their product” and have not only taken to social media to express their views, but have also defaced ads across the London Underground and started a (now successful) petition to have the campaign pulled.

As a self-acknowledged chubster, its easy to understand why some women might find these ads offensive, but it was the brand’s response that really threw me for a loop. Instead of apologising and taking a softly-softly approach centred on the ad’s role as a motivational device, they doubled-down and held their own.

The resultant outcry and subsequent media attention has meant that in four days, Protein World has secured 20’000 new customers, over 113 million media views, and has made over 1 MILLION in revenue.

By causing a debate on such a fraught issue as obesity, the brand has polarised the media and its audiences in a way that (because they are in a niche market) means they can be completely unrepentant in their stance whilst meeting the ideologies and general attitudes of their key consumers – those who are or want to lose weight – even if that causes an awful lot of controversy.

Rightly or wrongly, the campaigns objective was to increase sales and, by creating a newsworthy story that everyone had an opinion on, social justice campaigners didn’t just give the brand a MASSIVE boost in exposure but also meant that those who agreed with their ideology would be more interested in actually making a purchase.

INGENIOUS!!!

Think about it.

They secured free coverage in several key national publications and news outlets as well as even more in women’s magazines such as Cosmopolitan. Coverage that would have otherwise cost them thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – to pay for themselves.

All it took was them maintaining their brand’s integrity.

If your brand is consistent in its actions, values, principles and behaviour, then it is seen to have integrity, and as such, will be meaningful to the audience to which it is aimed – however distasteful it might be to the rest of us.

It’s not about trying to be good anymore (though that might be one aspect of your brand) and its not about being ‘nice’ or even looking good in a yellow bikini; it’s trying to be honest, authentic and representative of the people who really matter – if only to your brand.

For many, the scent of coffee is the first highlight of the day – I know it is for me. Truly, nothing beats that freshly brewed smell as the cup warms your palms. Only two known aromas – chocolate and lavender – are interpteted in exactly the same way whether they enter the nose from the outside (through smell) and the inside (through taste).

According to Allegra Strategies, a market research company specialising in the sector, Britain’s 16,500 coffee shops had a turnover of £6.2 bn in 2013, a rise of 6.4% year on year. This is compounded by individual’s experiences of what seems every town centre and high street; every other shop now seems to be either a bank or a coffee shop. Whether it’s Costa, Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Coffee Republic, or an independently run coffee haven, in 2014 it was established that approximately one in five of us now visits a coffee shop every day compared to one in nine in 2009.

Green Tea Latte at Leicester’s The Crumblin’ Cookie

Despite the booming market however, there’s probably never been a tougher time to be a non-chain coffee brand. Although, undoubtedly, the number of quality independent coffee houses is exploding, the increasingly crowded marketplace makes differentiating an independent brand from their competitors and finding ways to stay on-trend, relevant, and therefore profitable, isn’t easy.

It’s not just about getting the right look, or even serving the greatest cup of coffee; It’s about creating an unique experience that makes people feel good whilst gives a double-shot boost to your brand. From the logo to the store design and everything in between (packaging, signage, displays etc.), all the parts of a successful brand have to work in sync. If not, the cracks start to show and the business suffers.

When it comes to building their brand, most companies miss the boat because they focus on what they want people to believe, rather than how they will deliver unique value.

There are a few methods used to define brands:

1. Brand Mapping

As one of the most valuable assets an organisation possesses, mapping a brand can help identify where the value lies, where consumer’s expectations lie, and where new and relevant opportunities may be to strengthen customer experiences by driving differentiation, relevance and authenticity.

As well as a PRESTCOM analysis and SWOT analysis, Brand Mapping can also reveal insights into the beliefs, motivations and prejudices behind their consumers behaviours and purchasing habits.

2.Brand Positioning

Brand positioning aims to clarify, simplify and amplify a brand’s story, enabling the brand to go beyond the confines of its category and take an obtainable, sustainable, and (most importantly) favorable position within the marketplace. The whole idea is not to differentiate the brand from its competition but instead ask; “How can we address the needs of the market in a way that is unique to us?”

3. Brand Architecture

A strong brand is clear about what it represents. Properly managing how individual brands, sub-brands, line extensions and ingredient brands relate to and support each other goes a long way to shape and increase portfolio value. Evaluating each brand as well as its individual stakeholder relationships means organisations can: i

Ilustrate brand families and hierarchies

Unearth opportunities to create new brands

Identify line extensions and ingredient brand opportunities

Reveal cross-alignments and cannibalistic brand practices

Of course, all of the things that make up a brand take time and effort to come up with, create, and refine. Whether it be a logo, a website, branded packaging/merchandise/store interiors, the message itself etc, it’s important to recognise that a brand – however successful – is a constant work in progress, whether this be a coffee house, new brand of beans, or even ourselves.

My first step in branding myself (after a lot of self reflection and analysis of course) was this blog. However, despite my consistent profiling across online platforms and integration between said platforms, I realised a while ago that as I now approach the end of my postgraduate studies, I would need to hone my ‘brand’ to be more consistent in its style, design and messaging.

And so – with the help of far, far too much caffeine to be healthily consumed in one day – I developed a rough design of my logo.

I like to think that as well as showing my strong love of coffee, it holds a bit of character. Admittedly, it’s a little rough around the edges, but then, when I consider it, so am I.

Although one day – as I gain experience and confidence in my abilities – I know I’ll be polished up to a true shine; I think that, for the time being at least, I like the personality I feel this design expresses about me, not to mention the personalised ‘uniqueness’ that using coffee staining will have for my business cards.

After all, when you really think about it, whether your preference is a latte, mocha or sharp shot of espresso, there’s nothing better than a perfectly made coffee.